Guide to Keyword Research for SEO

Guide to Keyword Research for SEO

Some job post whether, mainly for Search Engine Optimization (SEO), content writing, and sometimes in Data Entry kind of work, one of the requirements for the Virtual Assistant is Keyword research.

Have you noticed this requirement?

SEO keyword research

How about this?

SEO keyword research 2

I’m sure you’re familiar with what online platform they were taken. I’m certain as well that when you’re in a jobs spree, you usually encounter this and if not probably during the interview.

Filipinos who are working in tasks related to SEO but not familiar with some of the best keyword research tools, read further below.

I’m going to categorize most of the keyword research tools as paid and free. The reason why I’m categorizing this as some clients:

  • Don’t have the budget for this, so usually you’re the one have to pay for it if necessary, like requiring you to use specific tools. Sometimes they require you to use multiple tools.
  • Have the budget but you’re not familiar with the tools.

Also, I’m going to state the importance of keyword research for each job category which are:

  • SEO
  • SEO Writing or SEO Article Writing
  • Data entry which task only needs to be done is keyword research

There will be overlap as they are much related.

Let’s start with the Free Keyword Research Tools

1. Google Trends

Google Trends Keyword Research

You can choose which keywords are the best to put in your content based on the interest in a specific location over time. You can check out related keywords at “Related Interests” or “related Queries” below.

 

2. Google Insight

When you type in Google search be sure to set the setting on the preferred location to get the right data you’re looking for.

You don’t want the data on another country for a specified keyword, right?

To set the settings if you don’t know, see the image below.

Google Insight 1

And choose “Search Settings”.

Google Insight

Click “Save” below.

Once the settings are done. It’s time to look for keywords (mid or long-tailed keywords).

Google Insight

For a specific keyword just put a space before, in-between, and after. Below the search bar, you can see the number of search results to that keyword in a specified region.

 

3. Social Media

Keywords in Social Media

You can get a lot of keywords here by going to a specific group where your niche is hanging out.

Let say on that image above; you can have long-tailed keywords such as “How to increase traffic on my online store” or How to get more sales on your online stores.” there’s a lot you can do besides How To’s.

It doesn’t need to be only one social media site but all social media sites where your customers and readers hang out.

Let’s go now to the Paid Keyword Research Tools

1. Semrush

This tool is useful for its keyword analysis besides checking out issues on your website. You can see the top organic keywords on the site you’re handling for its position and its volume of traffic. You can get data as well for the top organic competitors.

Although its paid, when it comes to reliability to its data, its worth it. Try it, when you sign up, you will have 30 days for free. You can input your website if you want to know the keywords you’re ranking now.

 

2. Spyfu

Spyfu keyword research

 

A handy tool to gain understanding on the website/blog you’re handling from its competitors. You can check the Adwords they are using, see below.

Spyfu adwords

You can check the level of difficulty to see if you can outrank your competitor to a particular keyword or not. By knowing these keywords, you can either use this for your long-tailed or rank it as for its low difficulty.

Spyfu Related keywords

 

3. Keyword Tool

Keyword tool for keyword Research

You can use this to compare data from other tools above as this is the best alternative for Google Suggest. You can choose YouTube as some clients want to rank in keywords there as well.

Check the image below:

Keywordtool keyword research

Check keyword suggestion or related keywords as you will see which keywords are mostly searched in a month (average) like for this case “Philippines.”

4. Moz

Moz Keyword Research

Go to “Keyword Explorer” and type in the keyword you want. Same as other tools it will give you data on the averages of searches per month.

Like these below.

 

Importance of keyword research for each job category

For SEO

  • You can use this to which keyword you want the page to rank for
  • Helpful for link building when you do outreach

For SEO Writing

  • You will know what keyword to use in your title, meta-description, and content.
  • Yoast can help you with this as well

Note: Be sure to not overstuff keyword to prevent Google penalization. Safe is 2-3 keywords and not more. Some clients/employers require you a specific percentage for the appearance of the keyword within the content or the number of times it will appear.


For Data Entry

  • You can input the data either on Excel or Google Spreadsheet and categorize them for high, medium, and low in difficulty or search volume.
  • Compare data by inputting different keyword tools used.

 

Thoughts

For keyword research, you can use any of them but if you need to consider what role you will be working on. For example, if you’re an SEO Specialist/Expert, You will need Semrush, Moz, and KeywordTool. It doesn’t mean necessarily these three, but it will entirely depend on your needs and the tools other features which you are going to use. But most of the time you will be using more than one tool for comparison.

For SEO Writing, SEO Article writing, and Content Writers, mostly the tools you will be using are the free ones, but there are times clients demand more of you that’s why sometimes you will be using these paid tools. In most cases, the keyword will be provided to you by the project manager or from the SEO Specialist.

For people working on Data entry, either you will be provided with data through excel, and you will transfer them in an organized manner. Only in rare cases that you will do keyword research unless your client doesn’t know how to do it or use it.

If you can recommend some other tools, send me a message here, I’d be glad to look on it and add it here.

Dale Basilla

Owner at Be Visible Media
Dale Basilla is a content writer for various niches, SEO (Off-page & On-Page), and lives in a location where there are lots of beaches in the Philippines. He loves to watch anime, TV series (mystery and solving crimes), and movies. In his spare time, he plays chess, plays the guitar, and spend time with his ever busy girlfriend.

Leave a Reply